Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking only "a little bit" of medication to ease constant, throbbing pain in his leg, he said in a television interview aired Sunday.
The actor-turned-governor told ABC's George Stephanopoulos in a taped interview that he's mostly staying away from the medicine chest because he doesn't want to contend with garbled speech or other possible side effects.
Schwarzenegger is expected to need two months to recover from surgery on his leg, which he fractured in a skiing accident last month.
"You only want to take a little bit of medication because otherwise, you know, you maybe forget what you want to say and start slurring because medication has an effect," the Republican governor said on "This Week."
The governor fractured his right femur after falling at the Sun Valley resort in Idaho on Dec. 23. Three days later, surgeons used cables and screws to repair his leg.
Under doctor's orders, he has cut back his public appearances and traveling and has been hobbling around on crutches.
"I've had many injuries before, and I'm going to go through this also," Schwarzenegger said.
For the seven-time Mr. Olympia, the broken leg was just the latest in a line of injuries.
He had a hip replaced about five years ago and a heart valve replaced in 1997. He had rotator cuff surgery in 2003.
A rapid heartbeat sent him to a hospital in 2005. One motorcycle crash in 2001 left him with several broken ribs, and another in January 2006 resulted in 15 stitches in his lip.